Mini-IPL to replace the Champions League T20?

What will replace the CLT20?

The death knell for the Champions League Twenty20 has almost been sounded, reports ESPNcricinfo. The IPL governing council is meeting on July 8 in Delhi to discuss alternatives to the CLT20. According to a BCCI insider, "It is a given that CLT20 is history and it's time to look ahead".

Reportedly, the three boards governing the multinational T20 tournament have signed an exit clause with the broadcaster of a tournament. There are various options which will be discussed in the meeting as a substitute for the three-week slot of CLT20.

The first option is playing a mini-IPL in which the top four teams of IPL 2015 will participate. The structure would most likely be a seven-match tournament with a league stage of six matches, and a final.

The second option is again a mini-IPL, but with eight teams participating. Fifteen matches with eight teams divided into two groups of four, and two semi-finals and a final would be the structure.

The third option would be for the West Indies to play a short series in India to make up for the losses arising out of their pullout from last year's tour of India.

The IPL governing council will prefer the first two options over the third. If any of the first two options pass the feasibility and logistical tests, then that options will be forwarded to the BCCI working council for ratification.

There are doubts that the IPL governing council may get into legal trouble because the broadcaster of the IPL may approach the Competition Commission of India (CCI) if the broadcasting rights for the mini IPL are awarded to someone else. Moreover, if the broadcasting rights awarding process is held in a transparent manner, the IPL council believes it will no cause any trouble.

The BCCI has obviously benefitted financially due to the settlement with the CL20 broadcaster. But if a mini IPL is indeed finalised, it will also be good news for the players as IPL cricketers and franchises will find it easier to oblige their contracts. According to the contract, ten percent of every player's IPL contract is set aside as his match fees for the CLT20, provided his team qualifies for the tournament. And according to the contract of the franchises, a portion of every franchise's sponsorship deal is understood to have been provisionally based on its qualification for the CLT20.

The only way a series against West Indies will be finalised is if the governing council decided against filling in the CLT20 squad with a franchise-based league.